When you’re on what seems like the perennial search for something, finally uncovering it elicits these paradoxical feelings of both accomplishment and great emptiness. On the one hand, you’ve finally found it but on the other, what happens now? A perennial search assumes searching perennially and when you’ve accomplished your goal infinity years too early, what’s next?

What’s worse is when the something in initial question is a leather jacket. And why? Because it’s a fucking leather jacket and a leather jacket really shouldn’t maintain the ability to satisfy or deprive us of essentially anything. Except perhaps dollar dollar bills. But as my story would have it, we are in fact talking about none other than the perfect leather jacket.

In my defense, finding The One (leather jacket) is like a stealthier version of the tale of Goldilocks in that some are too short, some are too wide, some are too tight and more often than not, some holster an unusual, permanent odor. This is precisely why when I laid eyes on The Perfect Jacket sitting across the shoulders of what looked like an Eastern European supermodel enjoying a juice at a sidewalk cafe in Soho yesterday, I went against all good judgement that allow people the privacy of enjoying juice on a sidewalk in Soho and in a most convoluted clown-y manner yelled, “Oh my God! That coat! Where?”

It was awful, really, but she answered, which was nice, and I learned that it was Blk Dnm, at which point I made like Forrest Gump and ran (a convenient three blocks only, to the store.)

Where I found it. Ultimately, I look for nice hardware and a length that nobody seems to understand will not compromise my back-to-ass ratio in the perfect leather jacket. Those features combined with a smooth and thin spring-appropriate leather help me confidently confirm that yes, it’s the best I’ll ever have–which is vastly different than Drake’s best but, you know, potato, potahtoe.

Blk Denim leather jacket, $895. I know, I know, it seems like a lot, but can you really, I mean really, put a price tag on perfect? I’d bet Goldilocks would have paid good money to get it “just right” from the getgo.

Well, if you say it’s perfect, I’m going to go ahead and believe you (and perhaps procure one of my own). Because perfection and leather jackets are a) very rarely found in the same item, and b) nearly priceless. Now, show us a picture of you wearing it, si vous plait!!

Nice jacket! If you’re on the other coast, and can spend an afternoon in SF, you might be able to get a litte closer to Drake’s. (Without the gold-plated hardware, but maybe with a more fun lining than OVO…) Johnson Leather does amazing bespoke jackets, and the last one our family had done there was in the $500-600 range. http://www.johnsonleather.com And they’re wonderful folks. They’ll ship after they fit you and take an order, so out-of-town works. (Don’t be put off by the biker/police bits; head for their custom stuff.)

-Rick (lurker for a while, enjoying the site, no connection to Johnson’s, other than enjoying seeing their jackets on family bods.)

I love you manrepeller, but having to constantly hear about your privilege – that is, having the ability to simply run out the door and buy an $800 jacket, is getting a bit tired.

Like everyone else who keeps up with this blog I love fashion and I know often it comes at a sacrifice. But with the quality and enormity of the wardrobe Leandra already owns I often wonder what else that $800 could have been spent on.

Perhaps your comment “can you really put a price on perfect?” set me off but nevertheless I would have to disagree. Us 99% down here certainly can.

ChatNoir

I’d like to respectfully disagree with the essence of this comment.

As with all blogs, the writer writes from his own perspective & shares his unique, personal life experience with readers. Blogs are free to be read by an audience who appreciates and is entertained by the content.

As such, I dont understand the reasoning behind scolding a blogger for their personal choices/lifestyle. Just as no one out there (I presume) is actually scolding a stranger on the street who’s driving a Jaguar or wearing a large diamond solitaire or living in a mansion, why, then, anonymously criticize a stranger who just happens to write a blog ?

Moose

I agree with you, but just as much as blogging is about presenting your own life experiences it is about appealing to your audience and on some level “selling” the lifestyle (I use the term in the widest sense possible). As much as I love the blog, her style and effortless swag it’s disheartening to think that man repelling, which looks like such a fun way of going about fashion, comes with such hefty and exclusive price-tags.

Leandra Medine

I am obviously not doing my job properly because the man repeller ethos is NOT about the garb coming with a hefty price tag! It’s not even really about the clothes. I appreciate the feedback here from all three of you a lot. The points have been duly noted.

Moose

Just to reiterate: I’m a huge fan (not least because arm parties appeal to my 10 year-old self who would pile up the bracelets from her wrists to her elbows), but when so many of the best items featured have triple-figure tags it can imply that that’s an integral part of man-repelling. Maybe more variety and repelling-on-a-budget could be good? Cheers! Keep being awesome.

Leandra Medine

No offense taken, at all. Point heard loud and clear–and I’m on it!

ChatNoir

LM: I wholeheartedly agree the essence of TMR is not/not about the price of the items worn. Rather, it’s the spirit of dressing in a fun, who-cares-what-other-ppl-think style. Regret that my word choice in my previous comment focused too much attention on the actual clothing.

My point is still this: It’s curious – & sad (disingenuous, even) – that readers feel free to scold a writer when they wouldnt direct criticism – for whatever reason – directly to a stranger on the street ….

Bridgitte

Also ChatNoir, my intent was not to scold the writer. It was rather to try and bridge the gap that perhaps exist between the writer and her readers.

The difference between “criticizing” (again, my comment was not meant to be mean spirited) LM versus a stranger on the street is perhaps that the stranger does not have a blog in which hundreds of thousands of people read, respect and look up to. I just think that we must be aware of our positions as they often influence many people.

Bridgitte

I certainly am not hating on you Leandra you have every right to buy what you’d like if you have the luxury (so long as it is not hurting anyone of course). Unfortunately many of us do not have the luxury, in fact, 99% of us do not and therefore sometimes this blog can be disappointing.

I also understand what you are saying, ChatNoir – a blog is a place you should be able to express yourself. The issue that I take with it however is that ManRepeller has turned into an internationally known fashion blogger who now bases a career off of this blog. Thus, audience matters as without the blog’s viewers Leandra *may* not have had the opportunity to be a renowned fashion blogger.

My point is, posts such as this one increasingly separate the blogger and its readers. Though I know some would argue otherwise, I firmly believe fashion should be for everybody. So when I (and I know many others) come to a blog which I both respect and simply just want to get fashion tips from, it is disheartening to realize that I simply cannot afford these trends.

So if I had to suggest anything Leandra it would be I wish you would give more working class friendly alternatives! But I still love u! xx

ChatNoir

Moose: i’m always swiping repelling tips from this blog. but i either take clothes i already own & pair them like L, or i simply purchase similar, but far less expensive pieces. or, i steal my guy friend’s old clothes….

… and, voila`! i’m a repeller ! that’s all there is to it …. : )

devo13

I was going to say the same thing essentially – no one has to buy the exact same pieces featured on this blog or anywhere else where one gets fashion inspiration. I think a lot of fashion is aspirational and kind of a fantasy. Most of us “regular, working folk” can’t afford these items, but maybe one day we can, or we find something on sale or something else that fits the bill.

adamalpha

But y’all, this is a really good price for a good leather jacket.

Moose

Confession – I’m completely inept at shopping (thank you hippie mother). I look to fashion blogs not just for styling tips but for ideas as to where I can go and buy nice things (literally). So if a blog features things well beyond my reach, over time you tend to think “ok, maybe this isn’t for me”, or “I can’t take these tips without forgoing food for the next two months”. It’s not just for the big statement or investment pieces like the leather jacket, it’s the everyday ones as well – does a flannel shirt have to be from Club Monaco or can you find something identical from Uniqlo? Is there really a huge difference between a plain white T-shirt from Isabel Marant or from Gap? Obviously Leandra’s entitled to shop where she pleases but it would be nice to see some variety, if for nothing else then to bridge the gap between writer and audience, as Bridgitte pointed out.

Ai-Ch’ng

It is a fulfilling moment when we find “The Perfect Whatever-We’ve-Been-Hunting-High-and-Low-for”…. My life has been a constant search of finding “The Ones” to replace the “Many-s” in my previously cluttered closet-life.

I’m always entertained by LM’s man-repelling, comfort/inspiration-before-style attitude, as it fits well with my motto – “Function before Form” (always results in a super-comfortable day for me, and not necessarily conventionally pleasing to onlookers).

Everything LM adores, can easily be found at a tenth – if not a twentieth – of the price of the new things listed on her lust-list… It’s not, I think, up to LM to look for the items and list every single price-point at which the same item can be found.

You and I and everybody else KNOWS these – and very similar – items can definitely be found elsewhere at less than sell-my-kidney-prices… so let’s be inspired by any fashion websites, Google a similar item and locate it on alternative websites with alternative prices.

My perfect oversized leather black-jacket was found last year – along with a selection of Club Monaco-esque plaid men’s shirts and an oversized, ACNE-ish steel-grey shearling aviator jacket (for one hundred and twenty dollars)- on Etsy.

For less than seventy dollars (including international postage from the nicest seller), this little Etsy number has established itself as The One to replace my previously many black leather jackets – all softest, black deerskin, with schmooshy, delectable folds of the most supple, unmarked leather – must have been an eighties or nineties number, as it is long enough to cover my backside, has slim, droopy shoulders and is the simplest biker shape sans useless hardware and buckles. And it is a real blast from the past: with a DKNY label in it, is from the men’s section… and pretty much looks like the one in LM’s latest post.

Gina

Maybe she, as myself, has saved up for ever to buy the perfect leather jacket…like for years, and never found it. I understand, and am leaning towards the same kind..or Anine Bing that I also love.. When you find it you may use it for 10-20 years so what does the price actually mean…. Great buy if you are happy! xxx

You’re so right. Blk Dnm is just good in general. I think it is the attention to, bing bingbing, fit! Lindeberg seems to create pieces that are made to fit the curvatureof the body. And I love the concept of having a few varieties of something, allwith numbers (jeans 8, etc) to discern one from the other. He makes an effortto keep the soul of his brand very much alive, what with the interviews andmuses he carefully chooses. It’s raw and it’s perfect.—I’ve been counting down the days until summer wherein I can peruse (and peruse only)the store.

You’re breaking my heart! A year ago, my favorite black leather jacket, which looked a lot like your new one (but with a red lining), was stolen in a Bay Area bar. In the pocket were my keys, i.d., and credit card, which I’m sure were a bonus, because the thief really wanted my jacket. It was vintage. It had no cracking, no tears, and no weird odors. It was lighter and more supple than a true biker’s jacket. And best of all, it zipped neatly over my ample chest without having sleeves to my knees. I made a police report. I filed for new i.d. and a bank card; the landlord got me new keys. But alas, I still don’t have my beloved jacket – and I had paid an obscene $60 for it, many years ago. Would I pay $895 to replace it? Probably.

Johan makes the coolest leather jackets for sure! Check out the white one too. I have it and absolutely love it. Looking forward to pics of you wearing this beauty. x

Greer Clarke

Your picture of it hangin on a frame looks so much better than the farfetch styling they, owe ya one, plus if you hadn’t seen that Eastern European wearing it, do you think you would have still liked it online? Gosh our lives are so hard…And also asking that girl on the street where her jacket was from is a great way of avoiding being blinded by the label!

Ideal Cheese

Reminds me a bit of the Mape jacket by Acne (which is even more expensive BTW)

Camilla Ackley

I’ve found the perfect white leather jacket, I’ve found the perfect blue leather jacket heck I even saw a multicolored one that ticked all the boxes.

But black? Never.

This one is absolutely spot on. If you’ll excuse me, I might have to go sell an organ or something to get it. Perfection really is priceless, though.

I guess for that amount of money, it’s something you know you’ll keep in your closet for many, many, many years. 🙂 Congrats on finding The One, and hopefully the hubs isn’t jealous of all the time you’ve been spending with it. 😉

Liz

It’s like when Christmas is over. I am excited to be still looking for my One Leather. Been looking since I was 16, which is a really long time when I consider my current age. Enjoying the hunt, though. What will you hunt for next, Leandra?

Johanna Moroch

If you wear this jacket 7 times a month for the next 10 years the price per wear would be about $3.75 per wear. So over time, it’s not a bad investment. And it’s a great piece.

Nope but better wish hard that it’s still there to purchase when you save up the money to buy the perfect leather jacket! 😀And I swear when you buy the perfect leather jacket…within a couple years there is ALWAYS another perfect one to tempt me! T.T

I absolutely understand that feeling, since I own the very same jacket. 🙂 As soon as I saw the pic, I just knew it was her. I can count on my own fingers the days I haven’t worn her since I’ve owned her! (As you can see on my blog: http://blog.helloelo.com)

$895 is indeed a lot, for the “ordinary” people that is. Not for you though, and we all know that, so stop pandering to seem like “one of the regular folks”.

diane

God, please don’t tempt me with another leather jacket to crave! Not in the same year I bought a white IRO moto and a burgandy Marant (the former was on sale by a lot and I wear it all the time now that spring is here; the latter was my go-to all winter). My only question about this little beauty is how the belt buckles at the bottom work when the jacket is open; do they hang to and fro? Picture, please!

Felicity

That’s lovely, it’s look so soft and the little pocket’s so cute. I’m yet to find the perfect leather jacket (most tend to make me look pret-tay butch) but I did find the perfect stop-gap faux leather (I’m not paying real leather prices for anything less than perfect) one, which looks enough like real leather to do for now – gold coloured hardware too, hollaaa.

that-bird.blogspot.co.uk/

Amy Bevis-Smith

i found mine back in january and it is love…..its a man’s one which i prefer and from a little leather specialist shop on brick lane if any londoners are interested…and it was only £75!!!

Gabi

oh my yes, to the “ass to back ratio” thing. It just can’t be too long and fitted, or too short, it has to be and exact perfect length to compliment all pant/skirt rises.

Alas I found my leather sole mate on Friday! $450 big ones…But I played it too cool, I walked away and now all I can think about is his soft buttery Balenciaga inspired underbelly caressing my caboose [Sorry, ate a dictionary for lunch] ..should I go back or would he have moved on?! You don’t think he went to the planet do you?http://www.fashionhound.tv

Athena

IRO makes amazing leather jackets!

Isabella

It makes me feel even happier about the fact that I found my soulmate – I mean, leather jacket – for only 60 bucks at Topshop in my last trip to London

I guess that’s what all the “money doesn’t have an inffluence when you’re talking about true love” thing is about. Or isn’t it? hahaha

debbywarner

I am so with you…I am still searching for “the” perfect leacher jacket. I own five, count ’em five, leather jackets (much to my husband”s chagrin) including a cool Golden Goose I bought on sale at Yoox (although not cheap) yet none are *the* perfect. AND of course, I don’t need ANY leather jackets. I live in Florida!

Heavy sigh…

J

Tried on a leather jacket in Paris this past Saturday…felt great…but was unsure about the price tag. I left after the salesperson reminded me it was the last one they had. I spent the day dilema-ing and returned later. GONE! The salesperson said the following to me: “When you find leather that is right – you buy! No questions!” (obviously with a great French accent) Lesson learned!

Bernadette

Still searching… unfortunately I hate quilting.

kim

This really is the perfect leather moto. Congrats on your find. I hope it treats you well.

aliablue

I couldn’t agree with you more. It has been a life long mission to find the perfect, leather jacket. I too, am “Goldilocks” about the perfect, leather jacket. I LOVE THIS POST!!R13 makes a stellar, white, leather, motorcycle jacket as well.

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